Official Information Portal for Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic
Načítavání obsahu
Načítavání obsahu
Long-term Residence Permit for the Purpose of Family Reunification
A long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification is intended for third countries citizens’ family members who wish to stay in the Czech Republic for a period longer than one year.
GENERAL INFO
TO APPLY IN CZECHIA
TO APPLY FROM OUTSIDE CZECHIA
EXTENSION
Who can apply for this type of residence permit?
You can apply for the long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification if you are a third country citizen’s family member and you want to live with this family member in the Czech Republic for a period longer than one year.
A third country citizen’s family member is by law:
The citizen’s spouse – applies also to same-sex registered partnerships.
A minor child (under 18 years of age) or the spouse’s minor child (a stepchild).
A financially dependent child of full age – applies to incapable of taking care of themselves for medical reasons.
An adopted minor child (under 18 years of age) or a minor child in the custody of the third country citizen.
A minor child (under 18 years of age) whose legal guardian is the third country citizen or his/her spouse, and the child care will be provided in the Czech Republic.
A lone parent over 65 years of age (the citizen’s mother or father) – single, divorced or widowed.
A lone parent regardless of age (the citizen’s mother or father) who cannot take care of himself/herself for medical reasons – single, divorced or widowed.
Family members of foreigners with granted asylum:
A spouse (registered partner) of a foreigner with granted asylum if the marriage (registered partnership) came into existence before the applicant’s entrance in the Czech Republic. This requirement does not apply to applicants who already hold a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic and have resided in the country for less than 2 years.
A minor child (under 18 years of age) or the spouse’s minor child (a stepchild).
A financially dependent child of full age – applies to children under 26 years of age who study a secondary school or a university continuously, or to children incapable of taking care of themselves for medical reasons.
An adopted minor child (under 18 years of age) or a minor child in the custody of the third country citizen.
A minor child (under 18 years of age) whose legal guardian is the third country citizen or his/her spouse, and the child care will be provided in the Czech Republic.
Parents (mother or father) of a minor foreigner (under 18 years of age) with granted asylum.
If a minor foreigner with granted asylum has no parents, another family member in the ascending line (e.g. grandparents) may apply for the asylum for the purpose of family reunification as well for , but only within three months from the day the minor foreigner has been granted the asylum. Minor foreigner’s legal guardian can apply for him/her as well.
How long is this type of residence permit valid for?
For as long as is the validity of the residence permit document of the family member with whom you are planning to live with in the Czech Republic, but for a minimum of 1 year.
In the case that your family member holds a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic, you can acquire a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification for 2 years.
What does this type of residence permit look like?
What obligations and restrictions does this residence permit mean?
If you are applying as a spouse or a child, the family member you wish to live with in the Czech Republic must meet at least one of the following requirements stipulated by law:
He/she has a valid long-term or permanent residence permit and he/she has resided in the Czech Republic for over 15 months. Both spouses are at least 20 years of age.
He/she has a valid employee card and he/she has resided in the Czech Republic for over 6 months.
He/she has a valid blue card or an intra-company employee transfer card or an intra-company employee transfer card of another EU Member State or a long-term residence permit for the purpose of investment.
He/she has a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research or at least has applied for this permit.
He/she has at least applied for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of seeking employment / starting a business.
The above-mentioned requirements do not apply to the following family members:
An adopted minor child (under 18 years of age) or a minor child in the custody of the third country citizen; a minor child (under 18 years of age) whose legal guardian is the third country citizen or his/her spouse, and the child care will be provided in the Czech Republic.
A lone (single, divorced or widowed) parent (mother or father) over 65 years of age, or a lone parent regardless of age who cannot take care of himself/herself for medical reasons.
Family members of foreigners with granted asylum.
If the family member with whom you want to live in the Czech Republic does not meet any of these requirements, you can apply for a long-term visa for family purposes or a long-term residence permit for family purposes.
If during your long-term residence for the purpose of family reunification in the Czech Republic you wanted to apply for a long-term residence permit for a different purpose (changing the purpose of residence), you can do so only after 3 years of residence in the country, or after reaching 18 years of age, or in the case of a divorce.
The Czech law system does not acknowledge a polygamous marriage and, therefore, it is not possible to permit residence for the purpose of family reunification to an applicant whose spouse already resides in the Czech Republic with another spouse.
You can also apply from the Czech Republic if you have resided so far in another EU Member State as family members of an EU blue card holder or as family members of an intra-company employee transfer card holder, or if you are residents of another EU Member State. In such case, you submit the application to the Ministry of the Interior within 90 days from the date you entered the Czech Republic.
Načítavání obsahu
Who can apply for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification in the Czech Republic?
Holders of a long-term visa issued for any purpose (except for a long-term leave to remain visa for less than six months, seasonal employment visa or special work visa), or
holders of a long-term residence permit for another purpose, or
foreign nationals who have resided in another EU Member State as family members of an EU blue card holder or as family members of a holder of an intra-company employee transfer card issued by another EU Member State, or
foreign nationals who are residents of another EU Member State
Načítavání obsahu
How and where can you apply?
Only in person at one of the Ministry of the Interior offices. Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal representatives (most frequently through one of their parents), using one of the above-mentioned ways.
When do you have to submit the application?
At the latest the last day of your current long-term residence’s or visa’s validity.
During the time when your application is being processed, you are staying in the Czech Republic legally, even if your current residence permit or visa expires (for more information please see the section Fiction of Residence).
If before entering the Czech Republic you have resided as a family member of an EU blue card holder or a family member of a holder of an intra-company employee transfer card issued by another EU Member State in another EU Member State, you can apply within 90 days from the date you entered the Czech Republic.
What is the administrative fee?
CZK 2,500, 1,000 for minors under 15 years of age.
The administrative fee can only be paid by credit card at the Ministry of the Interior office.
What is the time limit to process the application?
Normally 270 days (apart from statutory exceptions). The time limit is not running if the proceedings are suspended or if there is a legal ground for it.
STEPS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC:
If before entering the Czech Republic you have resided as a family member of an EU blue card holder or a family member of a holder of an intra-company employee transfer card issued by another EU Member State in another EU Member State, you must also provide:
A residence permit which the EU Member State issued you as a family member of an EU blue card holder or an intra-company employee transfer card holder.
Upon application you must pay an administrative fee 2,500 CZK, 1,000 CZK for minors under 15 years of age.
If you want your application to be processed as soon as possible, you have to provide all the necessary documents already when submitting the application. If your application is incomplete, the Ministry of the Interior can suspend the administrative proceedings, which may lead to prolonging the application processing time (for more information please see the section additions to the application).
However, if there is a time limit for submitting the application stipulated by law and you do not have all the necessary documents yet, submit the application anyway, even though it may be incomplete. As if the time limit expires, your right to reside in the Czech Republic may cease to exist along with it.
You can fill in the application form online. Then print out the filled-in form and sign it.
You can also download a blank application form, print it out and fill it in by hand – it must be filled in legibly, in block capitals, in Latin characters, and in Czech. You can also collect the form free of charge at one of the offices of the Ministry of the Interior.
3. Make an appointment to go to a Ministry of the Interior office
Make an appointment online or by phone beforehand in order to submit your application. Although a timely appointment reservation saves your time, it is not a necessary condition for submitting the application – with no appointment reservation you have to wait for your turn.
The lack of accessible slots in the schedule of appointments does not justify your failure to submit the application in due time. If the closest accessible date of appointment is after your time limit for submitting the application expires (for example your visa-free stay would already have expired), submit the application without prior reservation. For more details see your office’s opening hours (choose the appropriate office according to the location of your reported address) to find out, which is the earliest permissible date that you can appear in person, without having made a prior reservation.
Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal representatives (most frequently through one of their parents).
If you have submitted your application within the given time limit, during the time when your application is being processed you are staying in the Czech Republic legally, even if your current residence permit or visa expires (for more information please see the section Fiction of Residence). This is the case, with some exceptions, until a final decision on your application is taken. At the Ministry of the Interior offices you can also apply for a certificate confirming permission for your residence (Bridging Visa). A Bridging Visa allows you, for example, to leave the Czech Republic and return again during the time when your application is being processed.
5. Wait for the decision
The Ministry of the Interior will assess your application in administrative proceedings. If any errors are detected in the attached documents, you will be prompted in writing to remedy such errors. In the notice, the Ministry will explain in detail what the errors are and what you have to do to remedy them. It will also set a time limit for you to do so. When justified and if you apply for it in writing, this time limit can be extended.
The Ministry of the Interior also checks if you meet the requirements to obtain the residence permit you are applying for. In such case you may be invited for an interview.
In the course of the administrative proceedings you can:
You can track the state of your proceedings online on the website under Status of my Application or in your personal account. If you were prompted to provide documents or to remedy errors, the time limit for processing your application is not running until the errors are remedied or for as long as it is established in the notice.
Being processed: No decision has been taken yet. For more information on what you can do in the course of the administrative proceedings please see the previous section.
Granted: The Ministry’s decision is affirmative. Please see the following section.
Rejected: The Ministry rejected your application or closed the proceedings. In such a case you will receive the decision in writing. You can appeal against the decision within 15 days of the date you were notified of the decision.
The decision to reject the application consists of three basic parts:
The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the application was rejected. It may also advise you that you must leave the country, including the time limit in which you must do so.
The Statement of Grounds: It explains why the application was rejected and what documents and proofs served as grounds for the decision on your application.
The decision to close the proceedings consists of three basic parts:
The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the proceedings were closed.
The Statement of Grounds: It describes the procedure and grounds that led to the proceedings being closed.
Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.
Načítavání obsahu
You may have only received a record of the decision to close the proceedings because in your case the proceedings were closed for reasons stipulated by law in which case the applicant does not receive a written decision (Section 169r (2) of Act No. 326/1999 Coll).
7. Make your appointment to have your biometric data taken
If the application is granted, make an appointment by phone to have your biometric data taken. Please note that the appointment date is binding and you must follow the Administrative Procedure Code if you request a reschedule or cancellation.
8. Come to have your biometric data taken
Come to the scheduled biometric data scanning appointment. Take your travel document with you. At the biometric data scanning you will agree on a date to collect your completed biometric card.
9. Collect your residence permit (biometric card)
The final step is to collect your residence permit (biometric card). The time limit for collection is 60 days from the date you had your biometric data scanned.
How and where can you apply?
You can only apply in person at one of the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions:
in a country that issued you with a travel document or which you are a national of, or
in a state in which you have been granted a long-term or permanent residence permit and have been legally residing there continuously for at least 2 years (for EU countries, you can apply only in Dresden visa centre), or
Comprehensive medical insurance, for applications submitted at the embassy, this document is to be submitted only when the application is approved (information on children under the age of 18 can be found here)
If before entering the Czech Republic you have resided as a family member of an EU blue card holder or a family member of a holder of an intra-company employee transfer card issued by another EU Member State in another EU Member State, you must also provide:
A residence permit which the EU Member State issued you as a family member of an EU blue card holder or an intra-company employee transfer card holder.
If you want your application to be processed as soon as possible, you have to provide all the necessary documents already when submitting the application. If your application is incomplete, the Ministry of the Interior can suspend the administrative proceedings, which may lead to prolonging the application processing time (for more information please see the section additions to the application).
However, if there is a time limit for submitting the application stipulated by law and you do not have all the necessary documents yet, submit the application anyway, even though it may be incomplete. As if the time limit expires, your right to reside in the Czech Republic may cease to exist along with it.
You can fill in the application form online. Then print out the filled-in form and sign it.
You can also download a blank application form, print it out and fill it in by hand – it must be filled in legibly, in block capitals and in Latin characters. You can also collect the form free of charge at a Czech Republic’s diplomatic mission.
3. Contact the diplomatic mission where you want to submit your application
Before submitting the application, contact the diplomatic mission and make an appointment. For a list of all the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions and their contact details please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
4. Submit the application
You must submit the application in person. In justified cases a diplomatic mission may waive the obligation to submit the application in person.
5. Wait for the decision
The diplomatic mission will turn your application over to the Ministry of the Interior.
The Ministry of the Interior will assess your application in administrative proceedings. If any errors are detected in the attached documents, you will be prompted in writing to remedy such errors. In the notice, the Ministry will explain in detail what the errors are and what you have to do to remedy them. It will also set a time limit for you to do so. When justified and if you apply for it in writing, this time limit can be extended.
The Ministry of the Interior also checks if you meet the requirements to obtain the residence permit you are applying for. In such case you may be invited for an interview.
In the course of the administrative proceedings you can:
You can track the state of your proceedings online on the website under Status of my Application or in your personal account. If you were prompted to provide documents or to remedy errors, the time limit for processing your application is not running until the errors are remedied or for as long as it is established in the notice.
Being processed: No decision has been taken yet. For more information on what you can do in the course of the administrative proceedings please see the previous section.
Granted: The Ministry’s decision is affirmative. Please see the following section.
Rejected: The Ministry rejected your application or closed the proceedings. In such a case you will receive the decision in writing. You can appeal against the decision within 15 days of the date you were notified of the decision.
The decision to reject the application consists of three basic parts:
The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the application was rejected. It may also advise you that you must leave the country, including the time limit in which you must do so.
The Statement of Grounds: It explains why the application was rejected and what documents and proofs served as grounds for the decision on your application.
Before receiving the visa in your passport, you must provide a proof of travel medical insurance:
covering emergency and essential care for the first 90 days of your stay in the country together with a proof of comprehensive medical insurance for the rest of your stay, or
The diplomatic mission can also ask you to provide a proof of payment for the insurance. A proof of travel medical insurance is not required in cases stipulated by law (e.g. your medical insurance is provided under an international agreement).
8. Get registered at a Ministry of the Interior office upon your arrival
In case you have been granted a D/VR visa, you have to register at an office of the Ministry of the Interior within 30 calendar days of your arrival to the Czech Republic. If you are able to legally enter the Czech Republic in a different way, for example without a visa while having a biometric passport, you have to register within 3 days of your arrival.
During the registration, the office’s employees will schedule an appointment with you so that you get your biometric data taken.
9. Come to have your biometric data taken
Come to the scheduled biometric data scanning appointment. Take your travel document with you. At the biometric data scanning you will agree on a date to collect your completed biometric card.
10. Collect your residence permit document (biometric card)
The final step is to collect your residence permit (biometric card). The time limit for collection is 60 days from the date you had your biometric data scanned.
Under what conditions can you apply for an extension of the validity of your long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification?
You can apply for an extension of a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification in the Czech Republic repeatedly if you are going to keep on residing in the Czech Republic and your family situation has not changed.
Načítavání obsahu
If you have a long-term visa for family purposes in your passport and you wish to keep on staying in the Czech Republic, you must either extend the visa or apply for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification or for a long-term residence permit for family purposes in person at a Ministry of the Interior office.
Before your residence permit expires, you can also apply for a long-term residence for a different purpose (changing the purpose of residence) if:
you have resided in the Czech Republic for at least 3 years, or
you have reached 18 years of age, or
your marriage has been divorced.
For how long is it possible to extend the long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification?
For as long as is the validity of the residence permit document of the family member with whom you are planning to live with in the Czech Republic.
For 5 years if your family member holds a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic.
Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal representatives (most frequently through one of their parents), using one of the above-mentioned ways.
When do you have to submit the application?
At the latest the last day of your current long-term residence’s validity, at the earliest 120 days before its expiration.
During the time when the application is being processed, you are staying in the Czech Republic legally, even if your current residence permit expires (for more information please see the section Fiction of Residence).
What is the administrative fee?
CZK 2,500, 1,000 for minors under 15 years of age.
Upon application you must pay an administrative fee 2,500 CZK, 1,000 CZK for minors under 15 years of age.
If you want your application to be processed as soon as possible, you have to provide all the necessary documents already when submitting the application. If your application is incomplete, the Ministry of the Interior can suspend the administrative proceedings, which may lead to prolonging the application processing time (for more information please see the section additions to the application).
However, if there is a time limit for submitting the application stipulated by law and you do not have all the necessary documents yet, submit the application anyway, even though it may be incomplete. As if the time limit expires, your right to reside in the Czech Republic may cease to exist along with it.
You can fill in the application form online. Then print out the filled-in form and sign it.
You can also download a blank application form, print it out and fill it in by hand – it must be filled in legibly, in block capitals, in Latin characters, and in Czech. You can also collect the form free of charge at one of the offices of the Ministry of the Interior.
3. You can send the application or you can make an appointment at a Ministry of the Interior office
If you wish to submit the application in person, please make an appointment online or by phone beforehand. Attention: a lack of free appointment slots will not be considered as a reason for a late application submission. If the offered appointment slot is after your time limit for submitting the application expires, send the application by post, Data Box or by e-mail with an advanced electronic signature, or visit a Ministry of the Interior office without an appointment – with no appointment reservation you have to wait for your turn.
If you are not going to submit your application in person, the date of its posting or the date of its sending by Data Box or email is important for complying with the given time limit. If you post the application at a post licence holder (most commonly a post office) the last day of your current resident permit’s validity, the time limit for submitting the application will be complied with. This applies even in the case that the application is delivered to the Ministry of the Interior after your residence’s validity has expired. We recommend, however, not to leave the submission for the last moment.
If you submit the application in person, you will receive a slip confirming the submission and a reference number assigned to your application. You need to know the reference number, for example, to be able to track the state of your proceedings. If you do not submit the application in person, you can learn the reference number by calling our information hotline. In this case, it is recommended to call the hotline no sooner than a week after the application was sent as it takes a few days to assign a reference number to an application.
Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal representatives (most frequently through one of their parents).
If you have submitted your application within the given time limit, during the time when your application is being processed you are staying in the Czech Republic legally, even if your current residence permit or visa expires (for more information please see the section Fiction of Residence). This is the case, with some exceptions, until a final decision on your application is taken. At the Ministry of the Interior offices you can also apply for a certificate confirming permission for your residence (Bridging Visa). A Bridging Visa allows you, for example, to leave the Czech Republic and return again during the time when your application is being processed.
4. Wait for the decision
The Ministry of the Interior will assess your application in administrative proceedings. If any errors are detected in the attached documents, you will be prompted in writing to remedy such errors. In the notice, the Ministry will explain in detail what the errors are and what you have to do to remedy them. It will also set a time limit for you to do so. When justified and if you apply for it in writing, this time limit can be extended.
The Ministry of the Interior also checks if you meet the requirements to obtain the residence permit you are applying for. In such case you may be invited for an interview.
In the course of the administrative proceedings you can:
You can track the state of your proceedings online on the website under Status of my Application or in your personal account. If you were prompted to provide documents or to remedy errors, the time limit for processing your application is not running until the errors are remedied or for as long as it is established in the notice.
Being processed: No decision has been taken yet. For more information on what you can do in the course of the administrative proceedings please see the previous section.
Granted: The Ministry’s decision is affirmative. Please see the following section.
Rejected: The Ministry rejected your application or closed the proceedings. In such a case you will receive the decision in writing. You can appeal against the decision within 15 days of the date you were notified of the decision.
The decision to reject the application consists of three basic parts:
The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the application was rejected. It may also advise you that you must leave the country, including the time limit in which you must do so.
The Statement of Grounds: It explains why the application was rejected and what documents and proofs served as grounds for the decision on your application.
The decision to close the proceedings consists of three basic parts:
The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the proceedings were closed.
The Statement of Grounds: It describes the procedure and grounds that led to the proceedings being closed.
Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.
Načítavání obsahu
You may have only received a record of the decision to close the proceedings because in your case the proceedings were closed for reasons stipulated by law in which case the applicant does not receive a written decision (Section 169r (2) of Act No. 326/1999 Coll).
6. Make your appointment to have your biometric data taken
If the application is granted, make an appointment by phone to have your biometric data taken. Please note that the appointment date is binding and you must follow the Administrative Procedure Code if you request a reschedule or cancellation.
7. Come to have your biometric data taken
Come to the scheduled biometric data scanning appointment. Take your travel document with you. At the biometric data scanning you will agree on a date to collect your completed biometric card.
8. Collect your residence permit document (biometric card)
The final step is to collect your residence permit (biometric card). The time limit for collection is 60 days from the date you had your biometric data scanned.
